Position
41°4.4′N 74°50.2′W
Swartswood Lake is a 519-acre glacial lake in Sussex County and the heart of Swartswood State Park, New Jersey's first state park. NJ Fish and Wildlife names it among the lakes where 3- to 7-pound walleye are not uncommon; they have been stocked here since 1992. It is also a good all-round lake for bass, perch, crappie, pickerel and spring trout. Little Swartswood Lake, a few minutes away in the same park, is stocked with muskies.
When to fish
- Early spring: walleye run up Neldon Brook, the main feeder stream, to spawn, and the state stocks trout in both lakes.
- Summer and fall: bass, sunfish, catfish, perch, pickerel and walleye.
- Late fall: walleye move shallow at dusk to feed before winter.
Where to fish
- Northern and eastern shorelines: shallow water with plenty of emergent weeds, good for bass, perch, sunfish and crappie.
- Deeper water: the lake reaches about 40 feet, and the bottom is scattered with large rocks and boulders, the kind of structure walleye use.
- Where water flows in: in late fall, walleye push into shallows near inflows at dusk.
- From shore or by boat: both work year-round.
How to fish it
Fish for walleye at dawn, dusk and after dark, or on overcast, choppy days. NJFW suggests working points, drop-offs, sunken humps and the outside edge of the weedline by jigging a leadhead with a twister tail or a shiner, casting or jigging blade baits, or drifting nightcrawlers on a harness. Walleye come shallow in spring and fall, when fishing from shore works well; in summer they sit deeper, and a slip bobber gets bait down to them. In late fall, anglers cast stickbaits into the shallows at twilight. For bass and panfish, work the weedy northern and eastern shorelines.
Getting there
The boat ramp and park entrance are off East Shore Drive, and the park is at 1091 County Road 619 in Newton. Only electric motors are allowed; the park rents kayaks when conditions allow, and there is a summer entrance fee. Walleye have seasonal rules, so check the current Freshwater Fishing Digest.
From the water
Latest reports
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No fishing reports have been published for Swartswood Lake yet.
Field guide
What you can catch
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